The ion complexation and enzyme mimic abilities of cyclic phenol--formaldehyde resins known as calixarenes have recently been reported in such references as Acc. Chem. Res., 16, 161-170 (1983); Macromol. Chem. Rapid Communications, 3 705-707 (1982); and JACS, 103 3782-3792 (1981).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,700 describes novel calixarene compounds of the formula: ##STR2## where R.sup.1 is alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkyl or substituted alkoxy; R.sup.2 is H or alkyl; and n=4, 6, or 8, which are particularly useful as storage stable accelerators for cyanoacrylate "instant adhesive" monomer compositions.
While a wide variety of calixarene structures and uses are known, heretofore the only suggestion to prepare polymer materials with calixarene moieties attached thereto has been the reaction of diepoxides, polycarboxylic acids or polyamines with calixarene hydroxyl groups, U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,464.
Polymer bound ethers and cryptate compounds, also known for ion complexing abilities, have been reported in such references as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,256,859; 4,278,784; 4,447,585; J. Polymer Sci., Polymer Chem. ed., 15 1189-1197 (1977); and Macromolecules, 6 133-142 (1973).